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I have a server running Ubuntu 16.04 that I would like to use as a wireless access point. The server has an Atheros AR9380 wireless card. I installed hostap and configured it to work as an 802.11n AP, but obviously there's something wrong in what I'm doing.

Using scp to test the connection's speed I get a max of 8MB/s, which is 64Mbps, and since the card should reach 450Mbps (theoretically) I was expecting something more.

I had the chance to run a test with 2 other cards, a different Atheros chip and a Ralink, and the result was even worse. I even tried with different antennas, but it didn't help.

I haven't installed any new driver or firmware; the system is just a minimal Ubuntu 16.04, updated and upgraded.

Can you please help me to find out what I'm doing wrong?
Here's etc/hostapd/hostapd.conf:

### Wireless network ###
interface=wlp1s0
bridge=br0
driver=nl80211

### DFS
country_code=SE
ieee80211d=1
ieee80211h=1

## Enables 802.11n & WMM
ieee80211n=1
wmm_enabled=1

ssid=MyWireless
hw_mode=g
channel=2

auth_algs=3
wpa=3
wpa_passphrase=supersecret

ht_capab=[HT20][SHORT-GI-20]

## Client reauth ##
eap_reauth_period=360000000

## Key management algorithms
wpa_key_mgmt=WPA-PSK

## Set cipher suites (encryption algorithms) ##
wpa_pairwise=TKIP
rsn_pairwise=CCMP

## Shared Key Authentication ##
auth_algs=1

## Accept all MAC address ###
macaddr_acl=0
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2
  • Could it be bottle-necked by the hardware it is plugged into? An scp tests the entire connection end to end; including hard drive reads/writes at both ends and the passage of data to/from the wifi card; then there is contention within the airwaves themselves with neighbours, phones, etc.
    – John Mee
    Jun 19 '16 at 23:49
  • I just tested a scp via LAN cable and it gave a straight 125MB/s, I really couldn't ask for more. The channel 2 is free in the neighborhood, and the old router on the same spot could deliver 150Mbps without a glitch. Now, the card is a mini-pcie, which should have a transfer rate much higher than 64Mbps, but maybe it's flawed? Can I actually test it?
    – Alessandro Cappello
    Jun 20 '16 at 0:10

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